The pathological condition known as diabetic retinopathy (DR) affects the blood circulation system in the eye. DR is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes and the leading cause of vision impairment and blindness among working-age people. DR typically progresses through four stages: mild non-proliferative DR; moderate non-proliferative DR; severe non-proliferative DR; and proliferative DR.
Early detection of DR is crucial to prevent vision loss. However, access to an ophthalmology specialist is limited in rural or isolated geographic regions thus reducing the chance of early diagnosis of DR.